Gimmicky Sneakers

By Jeffrey Ressner

WHY IT'S HOT New technology has made the plain old running shoe look boring

WILL IT LAST? Until Nike and fellow footwear makers get tired of profits

In an old Scooby-Doo episode, Shaggy and his friends play a basketball team that cheats by using supercharged "electronic sneakers." Gizmos on real-life sneakers are getting nearly as outlandish. Nike's Shox line, below left, introduced late last year at $150 a pair, features springs in the heels, providing runners and hoopsters with what the company calls "responsive cushioning." This summer the company also released Air Hyperflights, above right, an extra-light basketball shoe combining a new synthetic material with snazzy, Ferrari-like styling. Sneakers like Skidz and Street Flyers are incorporating roller-skating wheels. And one new brand, Heelys, top, features a single removable "stealth skate" in each heel that lets users walk or, with wheels engaged, zoom up to 32 m.p.h. They're not a far cry from the old wheeled shoes that were briefly popular in the '70s, bottom. But Heelys inventor Roger Adams claims sales this year have doubled every month; 200,000 units were shipped in July. Rollerbladers, get ready to step aside.

--By Jeffrey Ressner